How to Apply for Net Metering in India

Short version. Confirm the arrangement your DISCOM currently offers, check that your sanctioned connection can carry the proposed capacity, apply through the official route with a complete document set, install what was approved, and track the file by stage. Most delay comes from incomplete submissions and from problems that were visible before applying.

This guide was checked against the MNRE and Ministry of Power documents named below as of October 2026. State regulations and DISCOM portals change often, so treat the state-specific parts as a map and confirm the details with your own DISCOM.

Understand what you are applying for

Net metering is not a national scheme with one process. It is a connection arrangement administered by your distribution utility under regulations made by the state electricity regulatory commission. Capacity limits, eligible consumer categories, permitted export, settlement method and charges are set at that level and revised by order.

The centre sets a floor. The Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 oblige the DISCOM to support rooftop solar for its consumers, and the Ministry of Power amended them on 22 February 2024 (announced by PIB on 23 February 2024). The table shows who decides what.

Two consequences follow. A procedure described by someone in another state may not apply to you. And a tariff or settlement outcome quoted from elsewhere should not be used in your project economics.

Net and gross metering also produce different billing outcomes, and not every DISCOM offers both to every category. The gross versus net guide explains the distinction, and the net metering complete guide covers settlement and banking. Your DISCOM’s current order controls which arrangement is open to you.

Before you apply, check three things

These checks are free, and each one prevents a rejection that costs weeks.

1. Sanctioned load and connection type. Read them from the bill. Your permitted solar capacity is usually tied to sanctioned load, not to available roof area. A design sized to the roof and not to the connection is the single most common reason a proposal has to be revised. Maharashtra’s regulation, for example, says system capacity cannot exceed the sanctioned load or contract demand (MERC Grid Interactive Rooftop RE Regulations, 2019). If you want more capacity, a load enhancement is a separate application and should happen first.
2. Phase. A three phase inverter needs a three phase service. MNRE’s technical annexure for subsidised systems says that where the consumer has a three phase connection, a single or three phase inverter is supplied as the consumer requires and as the state’s regulations permit. If your capacity passes your DISCOM’s single phase threshold, a connection upgrade becomes part of the project. The single versus three phase guide covers the choice.
3. Transformer headroom. Many DISCOMs cap total solar connected to a distribution transformer. In Maharashtra the cumulative rooftop capacity on a distribution transformer or feeder cannot exceed 70% of its rated capacity unless the licensee allows more after a load study, and the licensee must publish transformer-wise availability (MERC 2019, regulation 5). If your local transformer is already full, feasibility can be refused for reasons entirely outside your property. Ask whether this applies locally before you commit to equipment.

Which route: the national portal, the DISCOM portal, or both

How you start depends on whether you want the central subsidy.

With PM Surya Ghar assistance. MNRE’s guidelines require the consumer to apply through the PM Surya Ghar National Portal using a valid consumer account number from the DISCOM (clause 6(a) and 6(b)). The portal generates an application ID. You then choose a vendor registered on the portal, the vendor installs, you upload the installation details, and the application moves to the DISCOM for inspection and approval. Net metering is part of that DISCOM stage. Read the PM Surya Ghar application guide for the portal side, and the vendor guide for choosing and checking the installer.

Without the subsidy. You apply through your DISCOM’s own rooftop solar or net metering portal or its consumer service centre. You may still use the national portal to compare vendors and loans, but the DISCOM application is yours to run.

The six-step application process

Treat this as a process map. Your DISCOM’s current instructions govern the exact stage order and the names it uses.

Step 1: Confirm the arrangement and the capacity

Check your consumer category, your sanctioned load, the maximum capacity your DISCOM allows and the export arrangement on offer: net metering, gross metering or net billing. Ask whether the DISCOM wants an application before installation, after installation, or both, because states differ. Under the PM Surya Ghar route the application comes first and the vendor installs afterwards.

Decide the metering arrangement before you size the plant. The approved arrangement determines how your surplus is valued, and a different arrangement can change the economics more than a few extra panels will.

Step 2: Apply and, where required, get feasibility

Submit the application through the official route and keep the reference number and a copy of every document exactly as submitted.

For systems up to 10 kW the central rule removes the feasibility study. For systems above 10 kW the DISCOM has 15 days to complete it, and approval is treated as given if it does not respond in time. The 15 days run from a complete application, so an incomplete submission does not start the clock. In Maharashtra’s original 2019 text, the DISCOM acknowledged an application within 3 working days and conveyed approval within 7 working days of finishing the study, with the approval valid for 6 months. Check whether your state has amended these windows.

Where a feasibility approval is issued it usually states the maximum permissible capacity. Design to that number, not to a larger one.

Step 3: Install under the approved design

Build what was approved. Changing the inverter model or capacity after approval generally means revisiting the approval.

If you are claiming the central subsidy, MNRE’s guidelines add conditions you should write into the vendor contract:

• Modules. Solar modules must meet the domestic content requirement, meaning domestically made modules from domestically made cells. Using non-DCR modules in any form makes the installation ineligible for central assistance (clause 5(m)).
• Inverters. The scheme’s technical annexure expects compliance with the Quality Control Order of 30 August 2017 for solar inverters, an integrated MPPT, anti-islanding protection, IP65 or better enclosures for outdoor use, power factor above 0.9, and indelible marking with manufacturer, model, serial number and IP rating. It also expects the inverter to be able to send system data through a SIM, dongle or Wi-Fi.
• Protection. Earthing, surge protection and AC and DC isolation are part of the technical specification, and the model net metering agreement requires an isolation device, both automatic inside the inverter and a manual external one.
• Documents. The vendor must give you the technical catalogues, warranty certificates, BIS and test reports, serial numbers, the layout and the electrical single line diagram so you can upload them.

There is no national approved inverter list. MNRE’s ALMM covers modules and cells, not inverters. Verifying the inverter model against your DISCOM explains how to confirm acceptance before you pay.

Step 4: Submit the completion documents and pass inspection

After installation, the consumer uploads the system details and documents, including geo-tagged photographs, and the application moves to the DISCOM (clause 6(j)). The vendor may help, but MNRE’s guidelines are explicit that the consumer can do every portal task without relying on the vendor (clause 8(d)).

The DISCOM then conducts a physical, checklist-based inspection (clause 6(k)). It can approve the application, send it back for corrections, or reject the claim with justification. Expect the inspector to compare the installed system with the submitted single line diagram, so the diagram must show the system as built. The wiring explainer helps you read it rather than just file it.

If the inspection fails, ask for the deficiency list in writing, fix every item, and request re-inspection against the same reference.

Step 5: Meter installation and the agreement

The DISCOM installs the meter after the rooftop installation is complete, and the DISCOM and consumer sign the metering agreement required by the state regulation (clause 6(l)). The meter is supplied by the DISCOM, or you can buy one from enlisted meter vendors. In areas where smart meters have been awarded under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, the DISCOM must install them through its metering service provider (clause 6(m)).

A bidirectional meter records imports and exports separately. The central rules now give the DISCOM 15 days to commission rooftop solar, down from 30. In Maharashtra’s original 2019 text the DISCOM had 10 working days to test and commission and 10 more working days to fit the net meter and synchronise, with the agreement signed after installation and before synchronisation.

MNRE publishes a model net metering agreement. Its main terms are worth reading before you sign any DISCOM version. The consumer keeps the system as a compliant installation, installs an isolation device, follows the Central Electricity Authority safety regulations, obtains any statutory clearances such as from the Electrical Inspector, and disconnects the system on the licensee’s direction if it is causing damage. The licensee is not responsible for injury from back-feeding while the grid is off. The actual agreement can differ, so read the version your DISCOM gives you.

Step 6: Commission, check the first bill, and claim the subsidy

Keep the commissioning and test reports.

For a subsidised system, the DISCOM approves the application on the portal, an e-token is activated with the assistance amount for the installed capacity, and you redeem it by logging in and giving bank details (clause 6(p) and 6(s)). MNRE says the claim is processed within 15 days of DISCOM approval (clause 6(t)). If you took a loan, the assistance goes to the loan account first. None of this is a promise for your application, because approval is a DISCOM and portal decision.

Check your first bill against the approved arrangement. Our timeline guide lists the written clocks stage by stage.

Documents to prepare

The mandatory list is utility specific. A typical file includes the following. Use the checklist inside your DISCOM or portal login as the final authority.

Ask the installer to state which of these they will produce, which they will submit, and which they will hand to you. Save each file as a clearly named PDF and keep a dated copy of what you uploaded. Our PM Surya Ghar documents guide covers the subsidy side in detail.

DISCOM portals and where to start

Portals change, and some state sites were unreachable when we checked in October 2026, so this list shows only what we could confirm and says what we could not.

If your DISCOM is not listed, find it on your electricity bill, go to its official website, and look for rooftop solar, net metering or “solar connection” in the consumer section. Be wary of copycat sites and agents who ask you to pay a “net metering fee” outside the DISCOM’s published charges.

What technical feasibility actually examines

Understanding this stage helps you avoid the problems it finds.

The DISCOM checks whether your proposed system can connect safely without adversely affecting the network. In Maharashtra’s regulation the study considers the AC voltage level at which connectivity is sought, the sanctioned load or contract demand, the rated output voltage of the system and the cumulative capacity available on the relevant distribution transformer. Other states look at similar ground: proposed capacity against sanctioned load, phase and connection suitability, transformer headroom, the protection and isolation arrangement, and whether the equipment satisfies the conditions in force.

Before rejecting an application at a particular transformer, the Maharashtra text requires the DISCOM to serve a notice to rectify the deficiencies, within 15 days or such longer period as may be necessary. If feasibility is refused where you live, ask for the reason in writing. A refusal based on transformer loading is a different problem from one based on an oversized proposal, and only one of them is solved by revising your design.

Metering arrangements and special cases

Net metering, gross metering and net billing. MNRE’s guidelines say all metering arrangements approved by the state commissions, including net metering, gross metering, net billing, virtual net metering and group net metering, are covered under the scheme (clause 6(l)). The arrangement you get is a state decision. The gross versus net guide shows how each settles.

Hybrid and battery systems. MNRE’s guidelines say grid-connected systems that do not feed into the grid, including behind-the-meter and battery hybrid systems, are eligible for central assistance subject to approval by the state commission, and the DISCOM inspects the reverse power protection. Off-grid installations are not eligible (clause 6(o)). If you want battery backup, ask your DISCOM how it classifies a hybrid inverter installation and whether any extra approval applies. Assistance is calculated on module capacity, not on inverter or battery size (clause 5(k) and 5(l)).

Apartments and housing societies. Group housing societies and resident welfare associations can claim assistance for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kWp at 3 kWp per house, through a connection dedicated to those common facilities (clause 5(e) and 5(f)). Residents who cannot use their own roof may be able to use virtual net metering where the state allows it. See the virtual net metering guide.

Tenants and shared properties. The connection holder applies, and you will need the owner’s consent for installation. Where the property or the connection is in a relative’s name, resolve the paperwork before you pay an installer.

Adding capacity later. A plant that already received central assistance and is later enlarged qualifies for additional assistance only for the balance up to 3 kW of total plant size, and a system relocated to a new site is not eligible (clause 5(n) and 5(o)).

Why net metering applications get rejected

These are the usual reasons applications are returned or refused. They come from the way the rules work, and we are not quoting a rejection statistic, because we found no reliable one.

Charges to ask about before you apply

Application costs are set by the DISCOM and the state commission, and they vary enough that quoting figures would mislead. Delhi’s 2026 revision is reported to have removed feasibility and registration fees for domestic systems up to 10 kW, which shows how quickly this changes. What is reasonably consistent is the list of categories, and asking about each avoids a late surprise.

Under the 2024 central amendment, the DISCOM must strengthen the distribution system at its own cost for rooftop systems up to 5 kW, so a transformer upgrade for a small home system should not be billed to you.

If the application is pending

Find the current stage and any outstanding request before escalating. Keep a dated log of portal status changes and correspondence, because an escalation supported by a record is treated differently from one that is not.

Where a rule prescribes a timeline for a stage, cite that stage specifically rather than complaining about total elapsed time. For PM Surya Ghar applications, the national portal, the national call centre and the app all accept grievances, each gets a tracking ID, and the guidelines set a 30-day resolution target (clause 11). For other complaints, the DISCOM’s own grievance channel comes first, then the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum that every distribution licensee must maintain under Section 42(5) of the Electricity Act, 2003, and then the Electricity Ombudsman under Section 42(6). Time limits for those bodies come from your state commission’s regulations.

The approval timeline guide sets out stage-specific follow up without promising a universal deadline, and the PM Surya Ghar status check guide covers the portal side.

After approval

Check your first statement against the approved arrangement. Confirm that import and export are being recorded as expected, that the settlement method matches what was approved, and that any banking or carry-forward provision is reflected.

Raise discrepancies early, with the approval document and meter readings attached. Billing corrections are considerably easier in the first cycle than after several. Keep the commissioning report, the signed agreement, the warranty documents and the serial numbers together, because MNRE’s guidelines make the registered vendor responsible for free repair and maintenance during a five-year comprehensive maintenance period and for passing on the manufacturers’ warranty documents (clause 7(d)).

Inverter documentation for your file

Your DISCOM will ask for the exact inverter model and datasheet. Qbits Energy makes on-grid inverters and hybrid inverters and does not install systems or file applications, so your registered installer handles the submission. For a single phase home system you can start from the model pages for the QB 1.5/2.0/2.7/3.0/3.3/3.6/4.0KTLS and QB 4.2/4.6/5/5.4/6KTLS families, download the datasheets for the exact SKU you are quoted, and contact Qbits if your DISCOM asks for a document the datasheet does not contain.

Sources checked in October 2026: MNRE’s residential CFA guidelines for PM Surya Ghar (clause references are to the original guidelines’ numbering; MNRE amended them on 7 July 2025, so check the current text), the PIB release of 23 February 2024 on the amended Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, and the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission’s Grid Interactive Rooftop Renewable Energy Generating Systems Regulations, 2019 (original text, since amended). The Delhi 2026 revision comes from trade press and has not been checked against the gazette.